NEW YORK (Reuters)–The number of Americans who signed up for 2019 insurance plans created by the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, fell by about 4 percent to 8.5 million people from 2018, the U.S. government said on Wednesday. Enrollment had been running about 10 percent lower but picked up during the past week, reflecting…
Maryland Judge to Weigh Obamacare Case
(Reuters)—Days after a judge in Texas declared that the Obamacare healthcare law is unconstitutional, Maryland’s Democratic attorney general on Wednesday will pursue his request that another judge rule the opposite way. The lawsuit brought by Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh also seeks to challenge President Donald Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general,…
ACR Leaders Discuss E/M Coding Changes, Step Therapy & More
CHICAGO—ACR leaders described a series of looming legislative and regulatory threats to rheumatologists and their patients—including the proposed collapsing of evaluation and management (E/M) coding and potential changes to step therapy rules—and urged everyone in the field to make their voices heard to quash the proposals. They also recounted recent victories in the policy realm…
Senate Democrats Introduce Bill to Allow Government to Block Drug Price Rises
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—Four Democratic U.S. senators introduced a bill on Thursday that would allow the government to block drug price increases that it decides are unjustified. The bill sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar and Jeff Merkley, all Democrats, would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to prohibit drug price increases…
Committee on Rheumatologic Care Helps Establish Principles & Position Statements
The ACR’s Committee on Rheumatologic Care (CORC) has been busy on many fronts, including establishing new position statements for the College, introducing new practice perspectives and engaging multiple stakeholders in actions to protect and enhance rheumatology practice, such as with payers. “CORC ensures the rheumatology voice is heard in all of the most critical venues,”…
A Rheumatology Fellow Shares Her Journey to Capitol Hill via the ACR’s Advocacy 101 Program
In summer 2017, I was a few months post-partum when I received an email announcing applications for the ACR’s Advocacy 101 program. It would take only a few days, but I asked my division director if it would be worth the time commitment. He questioned the career benefits of advocacy, but encouraged me to apply…
What the Election Means for Rheumatology
The 2018 U.S. midterm elections mobilized American voters, bringing more than 100 million people to the polls.1 It also brought the House of Representatives under the control of Democrats, while Republicans maintained control of the Senate, splitting the legislative branch between two parties. As the 116th Congress prepares to convene in January 2019, the ACR’s…
Final 2019 Physician Reimbursement Rule Released by CMS Includes Victories for Rheumatology
On Nov. 1, after months of advocacy efforts spearheaded by the ACR and others, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the CY 2019 Medicare physician fee schedule rule, and it included several victories for rheumatology. Upon initial review, it appears the CMS has taken into account the concerns expressed by the ACR and…
Protect Your Practice: Action Update From the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee
Both private and academic rheumatology practices face payer challenges that put the health of their patients and their practices at risk. To make sure the rheumatologist perspective is heard by payers, “the ACR’s Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) serves as the interface between payers and our members and ACR colleagues,” explains Sean Fahey, MD, a rheumatologist in…
RheumPAC Champions Recognized
Election Day 2018 has come and gone, and a new class of legislators will be joining the ranks of Congress in January. RheumPAC is the most important tool we have to establish relationships with our new legislators and this year, our ACR volunteer leaders stepped up and matched all donations to RheumPAC leading up to…
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